Sixth-graders get taste of cheerleading

The Whittier Elementary School Cheerleaders with the… (Courtesy Kris Higman,…)

Twenty-four sixth-graders performed as cheerleaders for the first time in front of their peers during an assembly at Whittier Elementary School Wednesday morning.

Two Newport Harbor High School pep squad members, Ocean Aragon and Matilda Higman, and their advisor, Kris Higman, visited Whittier Elementary in Costa Mesa this week to teach the students the dance routine for their show.

"It's all about self-empowerment," Higman said. "It's that 'You can do anything' idea. The students really seemed to have fun and enjoy themselves."

The idea, which Higman came up with this year, is to encourage Whittier Elementary students to become involved in cheerleading when they graduate to middle and high school, she said.

"Ensign [Intermediate School] and Newport Harbor generally don't see a lot of participation on the pep squad from Whittier students," she said. "We want to change that."

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Higman plans to return to Whittier Elementary once a month to teach the students new routines.